Make Your Own Rules...

By Pat Rigsby

Over the past couple of years I’ve become very adept at making my own rules when it comes to business.

One thing that is interesting about that is how some of those rules almost seem to contradict one another…

Let me give you an example:

I’m not a big believer in having rigid contracts to hold people hostage in a professional relationship.

I do believe in making commitments and honoring them, but I think those commitments are an agreement to exchange value over a defined period of time.

If one person doesn’t want to continue to hold up their end of the exchange – then I don’t think the other should be bound to hold up their side.

I’ve seen too many business owners and clients held hostage by a contract – but not provided any value to speak of – that I don’t love that model.

So it’s a bit of a contradiction…heck, I probably did as much as anyone to bring 12 month contracts to the training industry…but at the same time, I think we should be earning someone’s business month after month no matter how long the contract is.

So my rule for selling coaching is this:

I don’t have a contract.

I have a verbal agreement…I’m supposed to provide a certain amount and type of value and for coaching programs, I ask someone to commit to a predetermined period.

If they want to leave early…I’ll let them.

No sending someone to collections or anything.

No fight.

They just can’t rejoin a coaching program again.

It wouldn’t be fair to those who do value the agreement.

So that’s one ‘rule’ that’s simply evolved from my experiences and my observation.

Another way that I almost seem to contradict myself is that I guarantee products for a year and have refunded people well beyond that period…

…but if someone comes to me and asks about a guarantee or a way out of a coaching program before they join…I almost never let them join.

I don’t want to personally work with people who are just dipping a toe in the water and if 75% of their discovery is about how to get out of the relationship before we start…I don’t want to invest my finite amount of time in that person.

I approach vacations differently than others.

When Justin Yule goes on vacation, he’s off the grid.

Some people view it as an escape.

For me, I want to work for an hour or two most mornings.

I love what I do and never feel like I need to ‘escape’ from it…so I probably vacation more than most, but I take very few full days off completely.

I have plenty of other silly little ‘rules’ that change and evolve every year…

…but they’re mine.

And that’s why I wanted to be a business owner.

I wanted to create my own path and playing by many of my own rules is part of that.

Who I work with.

How and where I work.

When I work.

And guess what?

You can do the same.

You don’t have to borrow my rules or anyone else’s.

Create your own.

Build the business that YOU want.

Your goals. Your rules. Your life.

Make it Ideal.